Surnames & From Ellis Island to Lost Ancestors

[Doreen Rich]

Rita wrote:
> The Mormons kindly put the Ellis Island passenger lists on line:
> http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/
> 
> It's a very busy website and I am too impatient to keep trying over 
> and over until succeeding in accessing it, but Tim checked for me 
> and he found my paternal grandmother Ellen (nee) Monty in 1910 at 
> age 24 (I recall that she was born in 1886, so that fits). He 
> couldn't find my paternal grandfather, and I ought to search for 
>him myself some day.
*********************************
Thank you so much for putting that link in your letter. I went to it, 
typed in my maternal great grandfather's name, and came up with the 
answer which I thought was correct, but was not certain. It said he 
came over in 1896 from Hamburg, Germany. This lead to a phone call to 
my uncle, whom I have not spoken since my dad's funeral, four years 
ago. 

We had a nice chat, but the main reason for my phone call was to find 
out the name and information of another relative, an aunt, who was 
doing the family genealogy, at one time. I had met her at my sister's 
(half-sister) graduation. He gave me the number. I called her and we 
had a very long, wonderful chat about my grandfather and great-
grandfather. She is mailing me the family history as she has it so 
far, along with some family pictures, most of which I have never 
seen. She also has an email address, so I am sure that we will now 
keep in touch regularly. Oh ... this is her husband's family which 
she is researching. She is from England. This, of course, led to a 
discussion of Harry Potter. She has not read the books because, she 
is "not into children's books." I think I have convinced her 
otherwise. Even if I didn't, I have reconnected with that side of my 
family. Thanks again.

Doreen